


cabinet

by PaintedVanilla



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Aunt-Niece Relationship, Baking, Children, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-31 00:24:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15107882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaintedVanilla/pseuds/PaintedVanilla
Summary: “Have you seen Frances?”





	cabinet

**Author's Note:**

> Frances is three

“Have you seen Frances?”

John  _ looks  _ composed, but his tone conveys his anxiety. Mary glances over at her brother, who’s just walked all the way around the island in the kitchen without saying anything to her or her fiancée. 

“She’s not my daughter.” Charlie says, without looking up from what she’s working on, which appears to be rolling out dough.

John makes a face at her, “I was just wondering if you’d seen her.”

“Did you  _ lose _ your daughter?” Charlie asks, finally sparing him a glance, “Quite irresponsible of you, Laurens.”

John blushes at that, “I didn’t lose her.” He says defensively, “I just - she moves faster than me and she wanders when I’m not looking directly at her and this is a big house.”

“Sounds like you lost her.” Mary says.

John frowns at her, then says, “If you see her will you keep her in the kitchen until I come back?”

“Sure, with all the knives and the stove and stuff.” Charlie says, “Have you checked to make sure the back door is locked?”

John looks as distressed as his tone suggests he is, then, and Mary shoves her fiancée lightly. Charlie laughs as John leaves the kitchen very quickly.

“You’re gonna freak him out.” Mary says quietly, but Charlie just chuckles and knocks on the cabinet that’s under the island. It creeks open slightly and Frances peeks her head out, grinning widely up at the two of them. 

Mary coos and Charlie opens the cabinet door for her; there’s not much stored under the island, so it was easy for her to hide inside, but she’s eager to climb out. She holds her arms up towards Mary, indicating that she wants to be held, so Mary picks her up.

“What shape should we make our cookies, Fran?” Charlie asks, and Frances squirms so much in Mary’s arms she almost drops her. She sets her down on the island and slides the box of cookie cutters closer for Frances to look through.

She picks out a few and hands them off to Charlie, who cuts most of the cookies herself, but she lets Frances do a few. The ones Frances cuts are messy and barley resemble the shape of the cutter, but she seems very satisfied with them. She’s holding a cookie cutter shaped like a star and explaining something about space to Mary, as Charlie peels away the excess dough and rolls it into a ball.

“Here, Fran.” Charlie says, handing Frances the rolled up ball of excess dough. Frances makes an excited noise and drops the star cookie cutter back in the basket, completely forgetting what she was telling Mary, and reaching for the dough.

“You cannot give her that.” Mary says, taking the dough before Frances can grab it, “You’re going to make her sick.”

Charlie gives Mary a look, digging around in the cabinet for a baking sheet, “You sound like your brother.” she says, “This is supposed to be fun aunt bonding time, we’re  _ supposed _ to let her do things John wouldn’t let her do.”

Mary looks at the ball of dough, which Frances is still reaching for, “This is a bit much.” She says, “I don’t want to give her salmonella.” 

“You still sound like John.” Charlie says as she pulls a baking sheet out.

Mary frowns, “Forgive me for not wanting to give my niece a bacterial disease.”

She glances at Frances, who’s looking at the dough with wide eyes, and sighs. She tears the ball in half, and after a moment of hesitation, give Frances the larger half. She squeals and immediately tries to put most of it in her mouth.

Mary grabs her hand and pulls it back, “Go slower.” She says.

Frances looks up at her aunt, “Why?”

“Because you’re going to make yourself sick.” Mary explains.

“Why?” Frances asks again.

“Because if you eat the cookie dough too fast, your stomach will get upset.” Mary says.

“Why?” Frances asks again.

“Because there’s a lot of sugar in this and if you eat too much sugar too fast, it makes your tummy upset.” Mary says.

“Why?” Frances asks again.

“Because - ” Mary starts, but Charlie sets the baking sheet down on the island and says, “Babe.”

Mary looks over at her fiancée, then back at Frances, and says, “Just eat slow.”

“Okay.” Frances says, and proceeds to put as much of the dough in her mouth as she can.

“She does  _ not _ like to listen.” Charlie comments, and Mary rolls her eyes.

“She reminds me of John.” She says, and Charlie laughs as she start to place the shaped cookies onto the sheet. Most of them lose their shape in the process.

“Hey, Mary?” John says from down the hallway; he sounds significantly more distressed than he did earlier. Frances shoves the rest of the dough in her mouth and reaches her arms out towards Mary, who picks her back up and immediately sets her on the ground when she won’t stop squirming. 

Frances opens the cabinet under the island again and climbs inside of it; Charlie laughs and closes the door behind her. Mary is grinning, but she says, “We’re going to give him a heart attack.”

“It was her idea.” Charlie says, placing the last cookie on the tray and carrying them over to the oven.

John comes back into the kitchen, obviously nervous, and Mary bites her lip trying not to smile. He walks all the way around the island again and then looks at his sister, “Have you really not seen Frances?”

Mary shakes her head, “Did you ask dad?”

“No!” John exclaims, “I don’t want him to know I lost my daughter.”

“So you admit you lost her.” Charlie says.

“ _ Yes.”  _ John says miserably, “The back door is locked, but I looked in the backyard anyways and she wasn’t there, and the front door is locked so she’s  _ probably  _ in the house, I just can’t find her.” He looks at his sister desperately, “Will you please help me look for her?”

“Sure.” Charlie says, answering for them, and she opens the oven to put the tray of cookies in, but before she does she glances inside of it and says, “Luckily, she’s not in here.”

Mary snorts, but John looks horrified, “That’s not funny.”

Mary looks back at her brother, and realizing how nervous he is, says, “Jack.”

He looks at her, and she nods her head towards the cabinet door on the island. He walks around behind her and opens the cabinet to reveal Frances, who laughs loudly. John immediately relaxes when he sees her, leaning up against the island and muttering, “Oh, my God.”

“You weren’t supposed to tell him!” Charlie exclaimed as she shut the oven, and John turns around to look at her angrily.

“I thought she was dead!” John says.

“She was gone for fifteen minutes.” Charlie argues, leaning over to set the timer.

“She’s three! There’s a lot she can do to hurt herself in fifteen minutes!” John says, “I don’t really appreciate my sisters hiding my daughter from me.”

“The hiding part was her idea.” Mary claims; Frances climbs out of the cabinet and hugs her dads leg, still giggling. John leans down and picks her up immediately, and she still squirms but John knows how to hold her. 

He shuts the cabinet door with his foot and says, “Did you give her raw dough?”

“No.” Mary and Charlie say in unison, and John squints but he believes them.


End file.
